(Invited) Efficient Ternary Nicuw Hydrogen Oxidation Catalysts for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Abstract

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) offer prospective approaches to replace proton exchange membrane fuel cells via cost-effective catalysts and membranes. While significant progress has been made in efficient nonnoble electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media, the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in the alkaline condition still relies on high platinum loadings to compensate for its sluggish kinetics. Therefore, developing efficient non-noble metal electrocatalysts with Pt-like HOR performances in alkaline electrolytes is highly desired but a great challenge.The hydrogen binding energy (HBE) has been identified as the primary descriptor for the HOR. Additionally, an unfavorable hydroxide binding energy (OHBE) is considered the rate-determining step in the Volmer reaction to generate water. Therefore, an ideal catalyst for HOR should achieve a balance between HBE and OHBE. However, despite being a promising non-noble metal, nickel exhibits excessively high HBE and lacks active sites for hydroxide adsorption, which hinders its further application in the real fuel cell.In this work, NiW was successfully deposited onto Cu to form a ternary Ni-Cu-W alloy catalyst by a chemical reduction method. Through XPS spectra, we found the charge transfer from Ni to W to give Ni a higher valence state, contributing to a weakened hydrogen binding energy. Electrochemical measurements observed Ni-Cu-W exhibit an kinetic activity with 117.9 mA/mgNi at η= 50 mV, which is the highest among the reported platinum group metal-free catalysts. Ni-Cu-W alloy showcased robust stability, with no activity degradation during an accelerated long-term durability test between a low overpotential (-0.1 ~ 0.1 V, vs RHE) with 10,000 cyclic voltammetry scans and only a 5.7% activity loss at η= 50 mV when applying more larger overpotential (-0.1 ~ 0.2 V) with the same cycles. When assembled with this catalyst as anode and Pt/C as cathode, it delivered a peak power density of 289 mW/cm2. Both experimental and theoretical studies were conducted to gain insights into the catalyst's enhanced performance. Our findings revealed that the incorporation of Cu into the catalyst significantly weakened the adsorption of hydrogen species, while simultaneously lowering the energy barrier required for the absorption of hydroxide ions. These key observations might shed light on the underlying mechanisms responsible for the catalyst's improved activity and stability.